Thomas Whelan
| Thomas Whelan | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | 5 October 1898 Clifden, Co. Galway |
| Died | 14 March 1921 (aged 22) at Mountjoy Jail, Dublin |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation | Railway worker |
| Known for | Executed IRA volunteer : One of The Forgotten Ten |
Thomas Whelan (/ˈhwiːlən/; 5 October 1898 – 14 March 1921) was one of six men executed in Mountjoy Prison, Dublin on 14 March 1921. He was 22 years old at the time of his death.
Whelan was born in Gortrummagh near Clifden, Co Galway to John and Bridget Whelan on 5 October 1898, the sixth child of thirteen. He attended national school at Beleek and Clifden, before leaving school at 15 to work on his father's farm. He moved to Dublin at the age of 18, where he found work as a railwayman, and joined the Irish Volunteers as a member of 'A' Company, 3rd Battalion, Dublin Brigade. He lived at Barrow Street, Ringsend, Dublin and worked at a train depot.
He was arrested on 23 November 1920 and, on 1 February 1921, he was charged with the death by shooting of Captain GT Baggallay, an army prosecutor who had been a member of courts that sentenced Volunteers to death under the Restoration of Order in Ireland Regulations on Bloody Sunday (1920).
Whelan was defended at his court martial by Michael Noyk, through whom he protested his innocence of the charges. As in the case of Patrick Moran, there was eyewitness evidence that Whelan had been at Mass at the time the shooting took place. The prosecution cast doubt on the reliability of the eyewitnesses, arguing that as Catholics they were not neutral. The defence complained that it was unfair to suggest the witnesses "were prepared to come up and perjure themselves on behalf of the prisoner" because "they belonged to a certain class and might hold certain political opinions". The court did, however, trust the evidence of an army officer who lived in the same house as Baggallay and who had idenfied Whelan as the man covering him with a revolver during the raid. There was also testimony by a soldier who had passed by the house when he heard shots fired. This witness said he saw Whelan outside, attempting to start his motorcycle. Whelan was found guilty of murder and sentenced to death.
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